Men’s indoor hockey off to an exciting start at Bells

Scottish Hockey logoDundee Wanderers are off to a great start as they look to make an immediate return to the top flight after back-to-back victories over Falkirk GHG, and Dunfermline Carnegie in the opening day of the indoor second division campaign.

Wanderers took a little time to get a grip of their first confrontation with Falkirk and were 3-2 ahead at the interval. The opening six minutes provided three goals, Dave Morris and Cammie Scott were on target for Falkirk with Fergus Sandison getting one back for the former first division side.

The Taysiders took a single goal lead into the break through Sandison again from a penalty corner followed by Bobby Ralph, but they had several chances to add to their tally.

The game seemed to end as a contest two minutes into the second half when Sandison collected his hat-trick and Ralph scored again for a 5-2 lead.

Falkirk then brought the score back to 5-4 through David Norris and Douglas Nicol, but Wanderers replied by banging in four goals in five minutes through Sandison again, two by Ross Glashan and Sean Dowie from a penalty corner to lead 9-4. Towards the end Ralph scored his own third of the game and Norris collected a late consolation for Falkirk.

The contest against Carnegie was over by the interval with a 4-1 lead, Glashan opened from the spot, Tom Cole scored twice and Ralph finished off the scoring.

Although Cole and Dowie added two more in the second half, a Fifers` comeback brought the score back to 6-5 and a shock was in the offing. But Wanderers steadied the ship and Cole scored his own fourth while Sandison notched a late double for a comfortable 9-5 win in the end.

Watsonians also had a good day, but it started inauspiciously when they found themselves two down to Capital rivals Edinburgh University in their first game. They rallied in the second period with winning goals from Dan Prentice, Chris Millar, Blair Wynd and Fraser Sands to take the three points.

The Edinburgh side followed this success with a 5-2 win over Falkirk. A Sands` hat-trick was the catalyst in Watsonians 3-1 lead at the interval.  Although Falkirk had the better of the second half goals by Wynd and Mark Mundell were sufficient to take maximum points again.

Grove Menzieshill`s second string, last year`s champions but as a reserve side not eligible for promotion, struggled to see off Perthshire Coupar Cabs 6-5 in their opening game. Grove Menzieshill found themselves 6-1 up at one point, Olly James and Ben Cosgrove both scored twice, but Perthshire managed to score four times to make it a tense ending.

The Taysiders also made heavy weather of their 3-1 win over newly promoted Edinburgh University, a George Adams` strike put the students one up after 13 minutes. Normal service was resumed by the interval with James and Chris Wilson scoring for Menzieshill. The result was sealed when Andy Suttie gave the Dundonians a two goal advantage inside two minutes of the second half, and that ended the scoring.

In their final game Grove Menzieshill`s second string advanced to the top of the table with a 6-2 win over Granite City Wanderers to take a three point lead over rivals Dundee Wanderers with a game more played.

Inverleith seconds are best placed in the men`s third division after seeing off both Aberdeen GS and Thomson Cycles Kelburne 2s in the opening day. A hat-trick by Stuart Hatton was the catalyst in the comfortable 7-1 win over the Aberdonians.  In the following 10-3 victory over Kelburne four goals from Hanru Wehmeyer proved to be the decisive factor.

Kelburne`s reserve side did win their other two encounters, they started with an 11-3 win over Stepps, followed by a narrower 7-5 win against FMGM Monarchs.

Harris registered the highest win of the day with a 21-4 scoreline over Stepps, Gavin Martin was top with seven goals while Greg Whittet was only one less in the victory. The Dundonians lost their opening game 11-6 against Aberdeen GS, this time Martin was restricted to only a hat-trick while Patrick van Diggeren notched four for the North-East side.

Dundee Wanderers` second string opened with a 14-2 win over Stepps, Gregor Pearson scored four while veteran Bruce Rowan notched a hat-trick. Later in the day the Tayside reserves overcame Clydesdale 6-3, Paul Dailly scored three while Pearson was restricted to two this time.

 

 

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